How does a microwave oven affect a person? How harmful is a microwave: myths and reality

Over the past decade, apartments have been filled with all kinds of technical devices designed to help in everyday life. A person has difficulty remembering how he used to do without air conditioning, a steamer, a food processor and a mixer. The microwave oven has a special place - it is the one that can evenly heat up dinner within a minute and feed the whole family. The idyll of technological progress is spoiled by lonely negative messages - “Microwave damage can threaten your health!”

Harm of microwave ovens: myth or reality

Before you sound the alarm, you need to understand the operating principles of a microwave oven. The main mechanism of this household appliance is a magnetron. This is the device that studies electromagnetic waves , which they try to scare housewives with. How does a microwave oven work:

  1. After starting the device, the magnetron begins to emit ultrahigh-frequency radiation.
  2. The waves (up to 12 cm long) are reflected from the body covered with a special coating and create an electromagnetic field in the middle of the chamber.
  3. Molecules of water and fat, under the influence of microwave radiation, begin to oscillate chaotically, which leads to heating of the product.

When using a new generation microwave device at home, the harm of the microwave is zero. Now about the quality of food that has been in the working chamber of such an oven:

  • Nutrients. Thanks to the rapid heating of the product, the amount of nutrients is retained by 70% more than when cooking on a stove.
  • Carcinogen. During standard heat treatment using a frying pan, carcinogenic elements appear on the surface of the product. They accumulate in the body and over time lead to serious illnesses. In a microwave oven, the waves heat the dish directly, and not the dishes, which certainly prevents the appearance of a carcinogen.

With high probability it can be said that the danger of a microwave oven is a far-fetched myth. In terms of the taste of the dish, the health benefits and the time spent on preparing food, the microwave will give odds to any similar household kitchen appliance.

Harm from electromagnetic radiation

The electromagnetic background has increased significantly over the past decade. Yes, the scientific process has brought many useful devices into our lives, but we should not forget about the environmental catastrophe that hangs over all of humanity:

  • Low frequency radiation. Household electronics, power lines, electronic room wiring.
  • Radio waves. AM and FM radio stations, mobile phones.
  • Infrared radiation. Incandescent lamp.
  • Ultraviolet radiation. Solarium.

As can be seen from the list of electromagnetic spectra, a microwave oven, or more precisely a magnetron, emits low-frequency radiation. If the electrical appliance did not have protective functions, the influence of microwaves could cause a person:

  • Genetic changes.
  • Deviations in the nervous system.
  • Reformatting of the pituitary system.

A person can harm his health with the help of microwave waves if he places his hand or head in the working area of ​​the microwave. But the design of the equipment includes a fuse that will not allow the magnetron to operate with the door open. And this completely eliminates the occurrence of accidents.

In this video, physicist Petr Pozharov conducts an experiment and measures the electromagnetic background from a regular home microwave:

Microwave damage

The use of microwave waves in the modern world is growing every day. If previously devices equipped with this technology were used in industry, medicine and the military sphere, now such equipment can be seen in the apartment of any average resident of the country:

  • Wi-Fi router.
  • Microwave oven.
  • Radio navigation devices.
  • Cellular.

The radiation power of such devices is so low that the harm that the human body can receive tends to zero. This, of course, will not happen if the device is fixed. Otherwise, the operation of microwave waves may negatively affect:

  • Brain tissue.
  • Organs of vision.

For the most suspicious, we note: ultra-low waves quickly dissipate in the atmosphere. Even if, for one reason or another, the microwave transmits harmful radiation, at a distance of half a meter from it (the length of an outstretched arm), the power of the waves decreases by more than 50 times.

Important: make sure the door is in good condition

Waves of low-frequency radiation, like the rays of the sun, have a straight trajectory. Seeing a hard surface in front of you, the signal either weakens significantly or does not pass through the obstacle at all. In the case of a microwave oven, the body of which is made of a special material, the door remains a vulnerable point:

  • Minimum clearance. There should not be large gaps between the body and the door. Ideally, these two elements create one whole.
  • Special material. The mesh under the glass is made of a special plastic that can receive and absorb harmful radiation.

If there is a new generation model in the kitchen, and it is working properly, there is no need to worry - even if you press your nose against the glass of the door, there will be no negative effects from the microwave on the body.

Microwave in the military sector

In the United States, scientists found a completely different use for microwave waves - the “Ray Gun” was created. The device shoots low-frequency beams and has the following characteristics:

  • Radiation frequency - 100 Gigahertz.
  • Accurate shooting distance - 1200 meters.

If the US Department of Defense is not yet confident in the effectiveness of the new weapon, law enforcement officials are considering using a “Ray Gun” to disperse demonstrations: the beam penetrates 0.5 mm deep into the skin and causes heating of internal organs and tissues. There is no danger to health, but the fervor of the demonstrators is noticeably subsiding.

This you need to know: proper operation of the microwave

Proper operation of the microwave will reduce the cooking time, the service life of the electrical appliance and preserve health for the whole family:

  • Tightness. Even a small crumb that gets between the door and the housing can damage the seal of the electrical appliance.
  • Dishes. No plastic utensils. Even if there is a sign allowing this, it is best to use glass products.
  • Products. Some products are not suitable for cooking in a microwave oven: raw eggs explode when exposed to waves, and oil or fat can ignite at high temperatures.

Damage to a microwave oven if its housing is not damaged - false threat. Most likely, therefore, the average person is frightened by manufacturers of alternative household appliances: steamers, ovens and cookers. If you actively use a Wi-Fi router or mobile connection, then you definitely shouldn’t be afraid of household appliances.

Video about the dangers of microwaves

In this video, scientist Leonid Stasov will tell you how harmful a microwave oven is and will justify everything from a scientific point of view:

The benefits and harms of a microwave oven lie in the microwaves it emits during operation. Electromagnetic waves are emitted by all objects that operate on mains voltage. Refrigerators and microwave ovens are considered the most powerful in terms of radiation.

Scientists have divided opinions regarding the dangers of microwave ovens.

The history of the microwave oven

The microwave was invented in 1946. An American scientist named Percy Spencer was working on ultra-high frequency radars. One day he was experimenting with a magnetron. After the experiment, I found a melted piece of chocolate in my pocket.

He repeated the experiment with food, placing a sandwich on the magnetron. The product has warmed up. In 1947, he patented his invention. The beneficial properties of electromagnetic radiation have been discovered. This is a quick way to heat up food.

The first microwave ovens were released in the same year. They did not go into mass production, but were used to defrost food in soldiers' canteens.

The first household stoves weighed 350 kg and reached a height of 1.8 meters. With a power of up to 3000 W, they operated on water cooling.

The first household microwave oven was produced in 1955 by the Tappan Company. The demand for such stoves was weak. In the USSR, microwave ovens began to be produced after 1980 by the companies ZIL and Elektropribor.

How does a microwave oven work?

Microwave ovens use the beneficial properties of the 2450 MHz wave, which is set by international standards. It does not interfere with the operation of other devices that operate using microwaves.

It is known from a physics course that electromagnetic waves tend to propagate at a speed of 300 thousand km/s. Based on the data, we can calculate that the microwave wavelength is 12.25 cm. This will be the first refutation of the theory that waves from a microwave oven hit 1.5 km, irradiating everything in its path.

Now about the waves that affect the heating of food.

Food, be it pieces of meat or fish, contains dipole molecules. Food molecules have a positive charge at one end and a negative charge at the other. When an electric field acts on them, they line up strictly in the direction of the field lines. When the poles of an electric field change, dipole molecules change poles.

1 MHz – one million vibrations per second. That is, dipole molecules, like the electromagnetic field in a microwave oven, will change their poles so many times. When the microwave oven is turned on at a microwave frequency of 2450 MHz, the molecules endlessly change poles and rub against each other. Friction causes heating.

Is a microwave oven useful?

Microwave ovens have useful properties that give them huge advantages over gas stoves:

  • heat food quickly;
  • cook, defrost semi-finished products;
  • small sizes;
  • ease of use;
  • safety for children.

Interestingly, radiation of this frequency is used in the treatment of human diseases, helping:

  • heal wounds;
  • give an anti-inflammatory effect.

In addition, microwaves do not have any radioactive effect on a person located near the device. Proponents of the idea that a microwave oven is not dangerous to health argue that the radiation created in it cannot escape due to the shell in which the oven is encased.

Scientists also have different opinions about the benefits and harms of heating food in the microwave.

Microwave food: benefit or harm

Before we talk about the dangers and health benefits of a microwave oven, about the properties of food cooked in it, it is necessary to understand how food is heated.

On a regular fire, food is heated from below. In the microwave it heats up on both sides. The movement of molecules becomes chaotic with prolonged heating.

With strong heating, vitamins are destroyed and proteins are denatured. Denaturation of proteins does not cause harm to the body: it is the purpose of heat treatment.

Some bacteria, for example Salmonella, which has highly survivable properties, are not killed by heating temperatures, which rarely reach 100 degrees.

Warming up in a microwave will only harm your health if the food is in plastic. As temperatures rise, plastic's ability to release chemicals into the atmosphere can be harmful if they get into food.

Is microwave oven harmful to human health?

The beneficial properties of a microwave oven have been listed earlier. But there are some signs that indicate the properties of the stove have a negative effect on the body.

Effect on blood composition

Electromagnetic waves affect the human body through cooking and eating food from the microwave. They change the composition of the blood:

  • reducing hemoglobin;
  • increasing the number of white blood cells;
  • changing the composition of “good” high-density cholesterol (HDL) to “bad” low-density cholesterol (LDL), which contributes to the formation of plaques in blood vessels.

Studies have proven the harmful effects of microwave radiation on milk mixtures heated in them. Electromagnetic vibrations change the composition of milk. L-proline acids are converted to d-isomers. The latter are toxic, destroy the nervous system, and are poisonous to the kidneys.

Effect on protein

Radiation deforms the protein and changes its properties. Meat after cooking in a microwave oven contains carcinogens. Some dairy products and cereals also become rich in carcinogens when heated.

Microwave radiation denatures the protein. Leads to loss of solubility and hydrophilicity.

Weakening of the body

When heating food in the microwave, the cell membrane of the food pieces weakens. Food easily becomes infected with viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms. This can lead to the formation of rot, which is harmful to our body.

When exposed to humans, radiation suppresses the natural mechanism of cell repair, suppressing the immune system. Therefore, you should not stay near operating microwave ovens for a long time.

The harm that a person receives from food from a microwave oven does not act instantly. It can accumulate in the body for up to fifteen years, and then manifest itself in various diseases.

The benefits and harms of a microwave oven according to scientists

Scientists have differing opinions about the benefits of microwave food: some consider the data on the dangers of microwaves to be unproven, others are closely studying all the harmful properties of oven radiation. Thus, the Earthletter magazine provides scientific facts about the properties of microwaves that can cause harm, according to studies conducted in 1991:

  • deterioration in food quality;
  • conversion of amino acids and other compounds into carcinogenic and toxic substances;
  • reduction in the nutritional value of root vegetables.

Russian scientists also found that the nutritional value of food is reduced by 80%. According to scientists of the Russian Federation, heating food with a microwave and defrosting meat with its help leads to the following problems:

  • disruption of the blood composition and functioning of the human lymphatic system;
  • violation of the stability of cell membranes;
  • slowing down the flow of signals from nerves to the brain;
  • breakdown of nerve cells, leading to loss of energy in the central and autonomic nervous systems.

Researchers note that microwaved food has a low pH, which disrupts the acid-base balance and acidifies the internal environment of the body.

Is it possible to heat food in the microwave for a child?

Rapid heating of baby food products other than in the microwave can destroy all of its beneficial and necessary vitamins and microelements for the baby. It is better not to expose milk formulas, which are similar in composition to mother's breast milk, to electromagnetic radiation, which destroys the structure of the mixture and destroys vitamins.

Reasonable precautions must be taken, bearing in mind that:

  • the final conclusion of scientists that microwave ovens cause cancer has not been made;
  • electromagnetic waves cause food molecules to rotate at high speed, so it is recommended to heat baby food correctly: do not turn it on at full power and heat it in short stages: heat, stir and heat again;
  • Using the microwave too often is not recommended.

How to test a microwave for radiation

There will be no benefit from microwave ovens if there are holes in the protective shell of the device, which will undoubtedly cause harmful burns.

Radiation escaping from under the device's shell can seriously burn the owner nearby. Therefore, those microwaves that last more than three years should be tested for radiation. And it’s better to say goodbye to microwave ovens older than 9 years.

Radiation testing steps (this can be done at home):

  1. Find a fluorescent lamp or neon bulb "NE-2". You can use special home tests.
  2. Turn off the lights everywhere. Conduct the test at night.
  3. Place a glass of water inside and turn it on for 2 minutes.
  4. During operation, move the light bulb along the body of the device at a distance of 5 centimeters above the surface.
  5. When radiation penetrates the body, the fluorescent dump will glow, while the neon dump will light up with a bright light.

Important! It is better to dispose of a microwave with radiation leakage.

How to use a microwave correctly

People don't think about how to use electrical appliances correctly. But their lives, as well as those of their households and neighbors, depend on this. Therefore, before using the microwave, it is useful to follow the safety rules:

  1. Read the instructions for using the microwave oven.
  2. Before turning on the purchased stove, place it on a level place.
  3. Connect to the network. Place only those dishes that are recommended in the instructions.
  4. Before leaving home, unplug the device.
  5. Useful life of microwave ovens: expensive ones will last from five to 10 years, cheap ones - up to 3 years.
  6. Clean the inside and outside of the microwave regularly, after unplugging it from the power supply.
  7. Wash with warm water and liquid soap.
  8. Turn on only after natural drying.

Microwave dishes

Not all cookware is suitable for use in the microwave. Metal utensils do not allow waves to pass through, which can cause the oven to fail.

Dishes that are not suitable for the microwave oven:

  • Cast iron, copper, brass. Spark discharges generated when electric waves hit a metal surface will damage the inside of the microwave;
  • Porcelain or glass with a pattern. The paint contains metal impurities, so electromagnetic waves, touching the drawing, will create spark discharges, which can also damage the stove;
  • Crystal also contains particles of lead and silver, its surface is non-uniform, which can lead to the explosion of the dishes inside the microwave;
  • Plastic and cardboard. Waxed cardboard does not transmit electromagnetic waves;
  • Aluminum cookware.
  • porcelain without pattern;
  • earthenware, without design;
  • ceramic if covered with glaze.

How to choose a microwave for your home

When choosing a microwave for your home, you need to decide on the volume:

  • ovens up to 20 liters are suitable for defrosting and heating food;
  • from 20 to 25 liters - for a family of about 4 people: this oven has a grill function;
  • from 25 liters are suitable for large families.

The next guideline should be power:

  • less than 800 watts is suitable for heating food;
  • over 800 Watt to 1500 Watt – for grilling, cooking.

Microwave oven controls can be push-button, touch, or mechanical. Mechanical is the easiest way to control the furnace.

In addition to heating and defrosting food, a microwave may have various functions:

  • protection from children;
  • steam cleaning;
  • removal of odors;
  • keeping food warm.

The choice depends on the desires and requests of the future owner.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of microwave ovens is a topic that causes controversy due to the lack of an official conclusion about the health hazards of the device. From the available information we can conclude that microwave ovens are relatively useful for quickly heating food. It has been proven that cooking certain foods in microwave ovens can cause harm to the body. Therefore, the choice to cook food in the microwave rests with consumers.

Did you find this article useful?

Microwave found in almost every home. And Western experts actively propose it enjoy.

Firstly, it can significantly reduce cooking time. So, good is not always good. And the less heat treatment, the less nutrients in products are destroyed. For vegetables, for example, 5 minutes is enough. And sometimes a minute is enough to grab a lethal dose of radiowave near a microwave for a person with a weak immune system, and if immunity a person can be around it all his life without much harm. More more scary place, located microwave is turning in the gas processing plant - geopathogenic zone, harmful to all types of living organisms. It's easy to check pendulum or vine.

The microwave is also suitable for disinfecting plastic dishes. Bacteria like salmonella and E. coli are known to grow easily on cutting boards. And, according to a study from the University of Wisconsin, to get rid of bacteria, just microwave a board for five minutes, writes Stuff.co.nz. The same applies to dirty dish sponges. Experts advise adding lemon juice and vinegar and putting the sponge in the microwave for a minute.

Microwave processing also allows you to “revive” crystallized honey (30 seconds is enough) and speeds up the rise of the dough. Some people suggest using a microwave to rehabilitate decorative cosmetics. For example, expert Jacqueline Mariani advises: place open mascara (without a brush) and a cup of water in the oven. In five seconds, dried mascara will become liquid again. The effect will last for several weeks.
http://meddaily.ru/article/05Jan2015/nasashit

Evidence of harmfulness

During the war in Yugoslavia, on the recommendation of Russian scientists, residents of Belgrade shot down American cruise missiles with household microwave ovens. When an air raid signal sounded, they quickly took the microwave oven with an extension cord to the balconies, opened it, pressed the locking terminal with their finger and pointed the microwave at the cruise missile. (During the day, the cigar of a low-flying rocket is very clearly visible; at night, the flame of its engine is visible). The “shot” range of a microwave oven is up to 1.5 kilometers! Hundreds of Yugoslavs directed the generator beam of their microwave ovens at the enemy missile. A failure in the rocket's electronics - and it fell!!!

Of course, the enemy quickly found a way out - by first bombing the power plants. And now, think about it: the slightest microcrack in the soldering of the microwave oven chamber housing (and they are sure to exist!) and... a powerful microwave beam “shoots” through the walls of apartments at all living things for 1.5 kilometers...

How does a microwave oven work?

Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic energy, just like light waves or radio waves. These are very short electromagnetic waves that travel at the speed of light (299.79 km per second). In modern technology, microwaves are used in microwave ovens, for long-distance and international telephone communications, transmission of television programs, and operation of the Internet on Earth and via satellites. But microwaves are best known to us as a source of energy for cooking - the microwave oven.

Each microwave oven contains magnetron, which converts electrical energy into a microwave electric field with a frequency of 2450 Megahertz (MHz) or 2.45 Gigahertz (GHz), which interacts with water molecules in food.

Microwaves bomb water molecules in food, causing them to spin millions of times per second, creating molecular friction that heats the food. This friction causes significant damage to food molecules, breaking or deforming them.
Simply put, microwaves cause breakdown and changes in the molecular structure of food through the process of radiation.

Who invented microwave ovens?

The Nazis invented the microwave oven, the “radiomissor,” for their military operations. The time spent on cooking in this case was sharply reduced, which made it possible to concentrate on other tasks.

After the war, the Allies discovered medical research being done by the Germans with microwave ovens. These documents, as well as some working models, were transferred to the United States for “further scientific research.” The Russians also obtained a number of such models and conducted extensive studies of their biological effects. As a result, the use of microwave ovens in the USSR was banned for some time. The Soviets have issued an international warning about harmful substances, biological and environmental, from exposure to microwaves.

Eastern European scientists also identified the harmful effects of microwave radiation and created strict environmental restrictions on their use.

Scientific data and facts

A comparative study on Microwave Cooking published in 1992 in the United States states:
“From a medical point of view, it is believed that introducing molecules exposed to microwaves into the human body has a much greater chance of causing harm than benefit. Microwave food contains microwave energy in molecules that is not present in traditionally prepared foods."

Microwave waves created artificially in a microwave oven, based on alternating current, produce about a billion polarity changes in each molecule per second. Deformation of molecules in this case is inevitable. It has been noted that amino acids contained in food undergo isomeric changes and are also converted into toxic forms under the influence of microwaves produced in a microwave oven. A short-term study raised significant concerns about changes in the blood composition of people who consumed microwaved milk and vegetables. Eight other volunteers ate the same foods, but prepared in traditional ways. All foods that were processed in microwave ovens led to changes in the blood of volunteers. Hemoglobin levels decreased and cholesterol levels increased.

Swiss clinical trials

Dr. Hans Ulrich Hertel participated in a similar study and worked for many years in one of the large Swiss companies. Several years ago, she was fired from her position for disclosing the results of these experiments. In 1991, she and a professor at the University of Lausanne published a study showing that food cooked in microwave ovens may pose a health risk compared to food prepared using traditional methods. The article was also presented in the magazine “Franz Weber” No. 19, where it was said that eating food cooked in microwave ovens has a malignant effect on the blood.

Dr. Hertel was the first scientist to conduct a clinical study on the effects of microwaved food on the blood and physiology of the human body. This small study reveals the degenerative forces that occur in microwave ovens and food processed in them. Scientific findings have shown that cooking food in a microwave oven changes the nutritional composition of food. This research was carried out together with Dr. Bernard H. Blanc from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Institute of Biochemistry.

At intervals of two to five days, volunteers received one of the following meals on an empty stomach: (1) raw milk; (2) the same milk, heated in the traditional way; (3) pasteurized milk; (4) the same milk heated in the microwave; (5) fresh vegetables; (6) the same vegetables prepared traditionally; (7) traditionally thawed frozen vegetables; and (8) the same vegetables cooked in the microwave.

Blood samples were taken from volunteers immediately before each meal. Then blood tests were performed at certain intervals after taking milk and plant products.
Significant changes were found in the blood during the meal intervals exposed to microwave ovens. These changes included a reduction in hemoglobin and changes in cholesterol composition, especially the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol). The number of Lymphocytes (white blood cells) increased. All these indicators indicate degeneration. In addition, part of the microwave energy remains in food, consuming which a person is exposed to microwave radiation.

Radiation leads to the destruction and deformation of food molecules. Microwaves create new compounds that do not exist in nature, called radiolytics. Radiolytic compounds create molecular rot - as a direct consequence of radiation.

Microwave oven manufacturers state that microwaved food does not have much difference in composition compared to traditionally processed food. But not a single public university in the United States has conducted a single study on the effects of modified food in a microwave oven on the human body. But there is a lot of research about what happens if the microwave oven door is not closed. Isn't this a little strange? Common sense dictates that attention should be paid to what happens to food cooked in a microwave oven. One can only guess how molecular rot from microwave oven will affect our health in the future!

Microwave carcinogens

In an Earthletter article in March and September 1991, Dr. Lita Lee provides some facts about the operation of microwave ovens. In particular, she stated that all microwave ovens leak electromagnetic radiation, and also degrade the quality of food, converting its substances into toxic and carcinogenic compounds.

The summary of research summarized in this article shows that microwave ovens are much more harmful than previously thought.

The following is a summary of Russian Studies published by the Atlantis Raising Educational Center in Portland, Oregon. They say that carcinogens were formed in almost all food products exposed to microwave irradiation. Here is a summary of some of these results:
Cooking meat in a microwave oven creates the known carcinogen Nitrosodienthanolamines.
Some of the amino acids found in milk and grain products have been transformed into carcinogens.
Defrosting some frozen fruits converts glucoside to galactoside into carcinogenic substances.
Even a short exposure to microwaves on fresh or frozen vegetables converts alkaloids into carcinogens.
Carcinogenic free radicals were formed by exposure to plant foods, especially root vegetables. Their nutritional value was also reduced.
Russian scientists also discovered a decrease in the nutritional value of food when exposed to microwaves from 60 to 90%!

Consequences of exposure to carcinogens

Creation of cancer agents in protein compounds - hydrolysate. In milk and cereals, these are natural proteins that, under the influence of the microwave, break down and mix with water molecules, creating carcinogenic formations.
Changes in elementary nutrients result in disorders in the digestive system caused by metabolic disorders.
Due to chemical changes in foods, shifts in the lymphatic system have been noticed, leading to degeneration of the immune system.
The absorption of irradiated food leads to an increase in the percentage of cancer cells in the blood serum.
Defrosting and heating vegetables and fruits leads to the oxidation of the alcoholic compounds they contain.
Exposure of raw vegetables, especially root vegetables, to microwaves promotes the formation of free radicals in mineral compounds that cause cancer.
Eating foods cooked in a microwave oven may predispose you to develop cancer intestinal tissues, as well as general degeneration of peripheral tissues with the gradual destruction of the functions of the digestive system.

Direct location
near a microwave oven

Direct proximity to a microwave oven causes, according to Russian scientists, the following problems:
Deformation of the composition of the blood and lymphatic areas;
Degeneration and destabilization of the internal potential of cell membranes;
Disturbance of electrical nerve impulses in the brain;
Degeneration and decay of nerve endings and loss of energy in the area of ​​nerve centers both in the anterior and posterior central and autonomic nervous systems;
In the long term, the cumulative loss of vital energy, animals and plants that are within a radius of 500 meters from the equipment.

Damage to health caused by
food heated in a microwave oven

The dissemination of such scientific research is still actively delayed by the industry, supported by the authorities and much of the press. However, it has been proven without a doubt that Microwave ovens cause cancer.
Cancer results from direct exposure to radiation. Both directly from radiation leakage from microwave ovens and radars, and indirectly through the consumption of food exposed to microwave radiation.

Technically, a microwave apparatus produces heat through the action of a high-frequency current with a constant change in the polarity of the substance (2.5 billion per second). This causes frictional heat, which unnaturally and destroys the food. Harmony is disrupted, as is the natural acid-base balance. Nutrients are distorted into unnatural forms.

Our immune system reacts to a damaged molecular structure as it would to a toxin. Changes in the blood resemble changes at the beginning of the cancer process. Since cancer can develop over many years until it becomes noticeable. The dangers of industrial microwaves are often ignored.
In traditional cooking on the stove, in a steamer or oven, food is heated naturally - from the outside in. In a microwave oven - from the inside out. You, of course, have noticed how strangely quickly (minutes!) food heated from a microwave oven, devoid of natural energy, cools down.

Why are microwave ovens dangerous for children?

Some of the amino acids L-proline, which are part of mother's milk, as well as in infant formula, are converted under the influence of microwaves into d-isomers, which are considered neurotoxic (deform the nervous system) and nephrotoxic (toxic to the kidneys). It is a disaster that many children are fed on artificial milk substitutes (baby food), which become even more toxic using microwave ovens.

Should I buy a microwave oven or not?

All human beings are responsible for their own health, except children, who cannot yet decide for themselves. Each one must therefore decide, using common sense, whether - at your own risk- whether to use a microwave oven or not! This is especially risky for children.

Interesting Facts

An experiment conducted by a girl for school. She divided the filtered water into two parts. I boiled one part on the stove, the other in the microwave. Cooled it down. And I watered two identical flowers with different water to check whether there would be a difference in plant growth. She wanted to check whether the structure or energy of water changes due to the microwave. Even she was amazed by the result. The flower withered, and the flower was watered from the microwave.

The problem with microwaves has nothing to do with the radiation that people were so worried about. It damages the DNA of food in such a way that the body cannot recognize it. The body envelops such food with fat cells to protect itself from dead food or quickly eliminates it. Now think about all the moms who microwave milk for their kids. Or the Canadian nurse who warmed up blood for a patient's transfusion and accidentally killed him with the dead blood.

But the labels say that microwaves are safe. The proof is in the illustrations of dying plants.

10 reasons to throw away your microwave:
Based on the results of Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical trials, we can no longer tolerate microwaves in our kitchens. Based on the research, we provide the following conclusions:
1) Continuous consumption of microwaved food causes irreversible changes in the brain due to the “shortening” of electrical impulses in the brain (depolarization or demagnetization of brain tissue).
2) The human body is unable to metabolize (break down) unknown byproducts from microwaved food.
3) The production of male and female hormones stops or changes with the constant consumption of microwaved foods.
4) The consequences of consuming by-products from microwaved food are irreversible.
5) Minerals, vitamins and nutrients in foods are reduced or altered in such a way that the body no longer receives the benefit or consumes altered proteins that cannot be broken down.
6) Minerals in vegetables are converted into carcinogenic free radicals when cooking in microwaves.
7) Microwave products cause the growth of cancer cells in the stomach and intestines. This explains the rate at which colon cancer cases are spreading in America.
8) Frequent consumption of such foods causes the growth of cancerous blood cells.
9) Constant consumption of such food causes disruption of the immune system through changes in the lymph glands and blood serum.
10) Consumption of such food leads to memory loss, attention, causes emotional instability and decreased intelligence.

Microwave ovens appeared in the life of modern people not so long ago. But for many they have already become the most important attribute of the kitchen after the refrigerator. After all, in a microwave you can not only defrost and heat up a portion of food in a couple of minutes, but also quickly prepare almost any dish. But few people think about the downside of such a “useful” device: are foods after heat treatment in the microwave healthy?

How does a microwave oven work?

Every microwave oven contains a magnetron, which converts electricity into radio waves. These very short electromagnetic waves are also called microwaves, microwave radiation, or microwave fields. Microwaves with a frequency of 2,450 MHz travel at the speed of light - about 300 km per second - and resonate with water molecules, causing them to oscillate randomly. Microwaves easily penetrate any food product and bombard water molecules, which are found in all, even the driest, food products. From such an attack, water molecules begin to rotate millions of times per second, creating molecular friction, which leads to heating of the product. This random friction causes significant damage to more than just water molecules, tearing and deforming entire food at the molecular level.

Microwaves cause breakdown and changes in the molecular structure of food in the process of radiation.

The more water, the faster the heating occurs. The longer the microwave irradiation time, the hotter the product. Microwave heating is based on the principle of molecular dipole shift, which occurs in substances containing polar molecules under the influence of an electric field. These substances include water.

The energy of electromagnetic field oscillations leads to a constant shift of molecules, aligning them according to the field lines, which is called the dipole moment. Since the field is variable, the molecules periodically change direction. As they move, the molecules “sway”, collide, hit each other, transferring energy to neighboring molecules in this material. Since temperature is directly proportional to the average kinetic energy of motion of atoms or molecules in a material, this means that such mixing of molecules increases the temperature of the material. Thus, dipole shift is a mechanism for converting the energy of electromagnetic radiation into thermal energy of a material. According to Wikipedia, microwave radiation leads to the destruction and deformation of food molecules.

Microwaves create new compounds that do not exist in nature, called radiolytics. Radiolytic compounds create molecular rot - as a direct consequence of radiation. One can only guess how molecular rot from the microwave will affect health.

Making a microwave oven?

American engineer Percy Spencer worked for Raytheon producing radar equipment. He drew attention to the ability of microwave radiation to heat surrounding objects, including food. He received a patent for the microwave oven in 1946. And already in 1947, the first microwave oven “Radarange” from Raytheon was released. It was adapted for defrosting food in military canteens and hospitals. The mass of this microwave oven was 340 kg and was about 2 meters in height. Mass production of these units began 2 years later, and the retail price was about $3,000.

In the USSR, in the late 80s, microwave ovens were produced at the ZiL YuzhMASH factories, but they used Japanese-made magnetrons. Medical research into the biological effects of microwave ovens has been conducted around the world, and an international warning has been issued regarding harmful substances, biological and environmental, from exposure to microwaves. In the USSR, microwave ovens were banned in 1976 due to their harmful effects on health as a result of many studies. The ban was lifted in the early 90s after perestroika.
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Microwave ovens came into fashion several decades ago and gained popularity among users of this miracle kitchen appliance. The only alarming thing is the periodically appearing information that microwave ovens cause irreparable harm to health. Let's try to figure out what kind of food a microwave oven prepares for us: does this food benefit or harm our body?
The operating principle of a microwave oven is based on a powerful magnetron, thanks to which ordinary electricity from the network can be converted into an electric field of ultra-high frequency - 2450 MHz. Special microwaves thus influence the water molecules in food so that they begin to vibrate at ultra-high frequencies and, accordingly, heat the product. Microwaves in a microwave oven move at the speed of light, the magnetron with each wave changes the periodicity of the positive and negative charge, this is the main condition for the interaction of microwaves and food water molecules.

Microwaves are reflected from the metal interior of the microwave oven and attack the food from all sides, acting very quickly.
Microwaves from the magnetron only appear when the door is closed and the microwave is turned on. When a microwave is turned off, magnetic waves cannot be formed; they are absent from it.

When the microwave is operating, a person is protected by a sealed door, a special protective mesh on the door and a durable sealed casing.

Microwave oven - benefit or harm?

The energy that enters products during heating or cooking is completely converted into thermal energy; there cannot be any remaining energy in the products, this contradicts all the laws of physics.

But we are talking about safety when a working unit is used for cooking, with an intact door and undamaged glass. Through damaged parts of a microwave oven, even if they are just cracks, microwaves can escape when turned on; it is these microwave ovens that pose a danger to owners.

The microwave door is completely sealed and cannot allow microwaves to pass through. But the gap around the door may be a source of small amounts of radiation. Therefore, when turning on the stove, you should never stand at the end of the stove, especially pregnant women and children.

It is best to buy a microwave oven from a well-known brand: the largest manufacturers, in the fight for healthy competition in the market and product improvement, control the level of radiation from all parts of the microwave oven, and ensure that these parameters comply with generally accepted global health standards.

Microwave Oven Safety Test

There is one simple experiment that every microwave oven user can perform to determine whether the selected brand of unit allows microwaves to pass through. You need to put your mobile phone on a plate in the microwave, close the oven door, and do not turn on the microwave! From another phone at a distance of 1-2 meters from the microwave oven you need to call your mobile phone. If the oven is reliable and hermetically contains all microwaves, then on the phone you will hear the operator’s message: “The subscriber is out of range”...

If the signal reaches the phone, it is best not to use this microwave oven.

Microwave safe utensils

In the microwave, you can use glass, ceramic, earthenware, and plastic containers that are labeled “Heat resistant up to 140 degrees.”
Do not place crystal dishes, metal, wooden, porcelain dishes with gold plating or designs, thin glass non-heat-resistant dishes, cracked or chipped dishes, or dishes made of non-heat-resistant plastic in the microwave.

Aluminum foil is also microwave-resistant, but it can be used to wrap around bones protruding from meat, for example, to prevent them from burning while the meat cooks.

It is better to choose large and deep dishes for the microwave oven: during the cooking process, food greatly increases in volume and rises.

To determine the suitability of a dish for a microwave oven, you need to do an experiment: put the product in the dish and leave it for a short cooking time. If the food is heated, but the dishes remain cold around the edges, they can be used in the microwave. If the edges of the dish are heated to the same temperature as the food, this dish cannot be used in the microwave.

Safe cooking rules

1. When boiling vegetables, sausages, or baking fruits in their skins, you need to pierce their skins with a fork in several places - this will prevent them "explosion".

2. Do not cook or heat under any circumstances. egg in the microwave! An egg rupture can be so strong that it will tear off the microwave door! Even if taken out whole, an egg can explode in your hands and cause serious injuries.

3. You can’t heat one thing in a microwave oven. oil or fat– it may boil unexpectedly and explode, causing severe burns.

4. Wooden utensils maybe in the microwave catch fire.

5. You cannot cook condensed milk in a can in the microwave - the can may explode and cause serious injury! Not to mention completely destroying the microwave.

6. It is necessary to remove spoons, metal brackets, wires, etc. from food and packaging: when operating a microwave oven, as a result of interaction with metal, an electric arc is formed, which is dangerous due to short circuiting and damage to the microwave oven.

7. Monitor the cooking time. Overheating food can cause charring and fire.

Harm from a microwave oven is an abstract concept not supported by scientific data. But the trouble is that people started using microwaves relatively recently, And There are no time-proven research results on its harmfulness yet.

Precautions when working with microwave ovens must still be observed, especially since they are simple: do not approach a working microwave oven more than 2 meters, do not stand at the end of a working microwave oven, do not use a damaged microwave oven, do not repair a damaged oven yourself or from random people.

How does a microwave oven affect the benefit or harm of its use on our body? Scientists do not stop studying the effect of microwaves on human health, but the final verdict on the harm to health or the absolute benefits of microwaves has not yet been made. In the meantime, you need to use a working stove strictly according to the instructions, and do not forget about safety measures for yourself and your loved ones.

Microwave oven: benefit or harm

When the first microwave ovens just began to arrive on the post-Soviet market, they were followed by horror stories that food cooked in a microwave causes cancer, and in general it is full of carcinogens, so it is completely unsuitable for consumption. And microwaves, according to the same theory, affect the intrauterine development of the child and provoke future pathological changes. The question “is microwave oven good or bad” worries many people.

Meanwhile, for example, in neighboring Ukraine, every fifth family uses this terrible device, and in the United States only 10% of the population does not have a microwave oven. The benefits or harm of a home assistant are of little concern to them. When purchasing a particular stove in a store, you will often hear that “this model” is safe for health, as it has an additional radiation protection system. So, do other “unprotected” ovens still pose a danger?

In fact, there is danger in any household appliance. The microwave oven here does not stand out in any way. Of course, if you try to put your hand in there for the sake of experiment, you will absolutely get a burn, although the danger is exactly the same in a standard, familiar oven. The question is different: it is not known how you will manage to get this burn, because all more or less modern stoves have a locking system during operation. Open the door and the stove will immediately turn off, whether you want it or not.

To operate, a microwave oven uses the same radio waves as in a regular radio. The only difference is in power (in the oven it is much higher) and frequency. But we already experience the effects of waves of a wide variety of frequencies every day: all equipment, from mobile phones to computers, one way or another, affects our body. Microwave waves only bind the protein in the same way as it binds when in boiling water. During operation, food does not accumulate any harmful radiation, that is, the effect of the stove in terms of the degree of “harmfulness” to health is approximately equivalent to a conventional gas stove or fire.

And even though ultra-high-frequency waves in their pure form can cause serious burns, all microwave ovens are equipped with a protective screen made of a special fine metal mesh that does not allow radiation to pass out. It is estimated that a person will experience some harm from an operating stove if he remains within five centimeters of it for eight hours every day. Only then will human skin be able to feel the influence of the waves breaking through from the stove.

According to modern sanitary requirements, the maximum permissible energy flux density from a microwave oven should be within 10 microwatts per square centimeter of area. This value is measured at a distance of 0.5 m from any point on the surface of the furnace body for the time required to heat 1 liter of water. Almost any modern microwave oven fits ideally into these conventional frameworks.

Australian scientists once developed a method that made it possible to heat certain areas of the human heart to 55 degrees in a matter of seconds using microwaves. And this is not just an “experiment for the sake of experimentation”: it continues in practice. High temperature destroys damaged areas and blocks the paths along which “incorrect” cardiac impulses are transmitted.

Using the same principle, using ultra-high frequency waves, the stove heats any product. The only difference is that the area of ​​action of the waves in the latter case will be wider and, accordingly, more scattered, that is, heating will take much longer.

Naturally, such a slightly ambiguous, but at the same time quickly gaining popularity home appliance could not remain without the attention of scientists, either chasing fame, or wanting to really clarify the situation in some way and help the people who have such difficulty accepting everything new. The benefit or harm of a microwave oven is one of the “fashionable” modern questions. The first word, as always, belongs to the Americans.

Scientists in this country loudly declare that the trend in recent years to reduce the incidence of stomach cancer is due to nothing more than microwaves. In their opinion, everything happens due to the fact that food is cooked in a microwave oven without adding vegetable oil, and the cooking method itself has much in common with steam, which is considered to be the most gentle.

Russian scientists have added their own important fact (or at least what they themselves consider to be a fact). According to calculations carried out at the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Sciences, when cooking in a microwave oven, food loses a maximum of 25% of vitamin C, while on the stove - up to 60%. Although in Spain, on the contrary, they somehow determined that broccoli from a microwave contains 98% (or, in other words, 50 times!) less vitamins and minerals than fresh.

In other countries, the benefits or harms of microwaves have also attracted scientific attention. In Switzerland, back in 1989, they conducted an experiment on the effects of microwaves on humans. Scientists never received money for a large-scale study, so they had to limit themselves to one single experimental subject. He simply took turns eating food cooked either on the stove or in the microwave. Having repeatedly analyzed the test subject’s blood, scientists were surprised, and perhaps even to their satisfaction, to notice a steady increase in the number of leukocytes after eating food from a microwave oven. The processes occurring in the blood resembled the onset of pathology, indicating the development of cancer. But no matter how the researchers tried to shout to the public, nothing came of it.

And this year, the verdict of the World Health Organization declared ultrahigh-frequency waves absolutely harmless to humans. Thus, in the question “microwave oven: benefit or harm?” modern science has long leaned towards the first. Go to the electrical supermarket and buy this miracle helper!

How does a microwave oven affect food quality?

It is very difficult to imagine our modern world without such an element of technology as a microwave oven. Currently, a huge number of models of microwave ovens with a variety of functions have begun to be produced. This includes quick heating, steaming, defrosting, convection, grilling, etc. This type of technology is so convenient to use and saves time that people don’t even realize how dangerous a microwave is to our health, not to mention the food cooked in it.

First, let's figure out what microwaves are, because it is from them that the well-known name microwave oven comes from. Microwaves are a type of electromagnetic energy, as well as a source of energy for cooking various foods. Microwaves somehow influence the water molecules in food and cause these same molecules to rotate at a very high frequency, approximately several million times per second. This creates molecular friction, which heats up the food.

How does a microwave oven affect the quality of food, but many already know that food cooked in a microwave oven is very harmful to our health. A person may experience a decrease in blood pressure and pulse, headaches and dizziness, and suffer from insomnia. The person may be irritable and nervous. Eating food cooked in a microwave oven can also lead to cancer, since microwave radiation promotes the formation of cancer cells.

Scientists have proven that food cooked in a microwave oven and entering the human body causes tumors, which later degenerate into cancer, and disrupts the functions of the digestive system. Therefore, food treated with microwave rays after some time can lead to to cancer.

Electromagnetic radiation is very dangerous contained in such food for pregnant And children. These groups of people should completely forget about any food that has gone through the microwave oven, and eat more properly prepared food. Because electromagnetic fields can cause spontaneous abortions or premature births, which will lead to the appearance of congenital defects in newborns.

Why shouldn't you eat food?
cooked in the microwave?

The entry of molecules processed by microwaves into the human body will do more harm than good. Microwave food is enriched with microwave energy, which cannot be said about food prepared in other ways. The quality of the prepared food leaves much to be desired, although in taste and appearance it is absolutely no different from that prepared in the usual way.

Scientists conducted a study that showed that heated in microwave- oven milk or vegetables cooked in it can change blood composition human, lower hemoglobin and increase cholesterol.

Microwave radiation leads to the destruction of food molecules, deforming them. However, such food tastes no different - the only and most important thing is that it is absolutely useless and harmful. Simply put, food cooked in a microwave oven is a slag and toxin for our body, which gradually poison the human body. And such a microwave function as “defrosting” converts galactosides and glucosites of frozen fruits into particles rich in carcinogens. And even short-term irradiation with microwave rays of the same vegetables, converts beneficial components into carcinogens. In general, the value of food cooked in a microwave oven is reduced by 60-90%. In this case, the biological activity of minerals and vitamins B, C, E disappears.
And yet, we will give an answer to the question “How does a microwave oven and food cooked in it affect human health?”
- Causes irreparable damage to the brain.
Frequently eating microwaved food can cause brain damage.
- Has a harmful effect on digestion.
The body cannot digest and assimilate foods unknown to it, which are obtained as a result of cooking in a microwave oven.
- Harm to hormonal balance.
Consistently including microwave foods in your diet slows down or alters the production of male and female sex hormones.
- Due to the influence of microwave radiation, minerals, vitamins and other beneficial substances are not absorbed in the human body.
The waves in a microwave oven can destroy or change minerals, vitamins and other beneficial substances in such a way that the body is unable to absorb them. Many compounds that enter the body are simply not broken down.
- Harm - carcinogenic free radicals. Minerals in vegetables are converted into carcinogenic free radicals when heated in a microwave oven.
- Harm - stomach and intestinal cancer, blood cancer. Long-term consumption of such foods causes the growth of cancerous blood cells.
- The immune system weakens.
- Negatively affects memory, attention and intelligence.
What is the result of eating foods
passed through a microwave oven?

1. If you are young, there is a high risk that by age 40 you may remain disabled and even worse - you take risks give birth to a disabled child, and the saddest thing is that You may not give birth to him at all.
2. And if you are about forty, then you risk not seeing your grandchildren or you painful old age is guaranteed.

Naturally, all this will not happen to you tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week. The consequences of microwave radiation can appear after 10 and 15 years. Therefore, now you need to think about your health, because your future and the future of your children depends on it. You need to not be lazy, but force yourself to eat only healthy and properly prepared food. And it is advisable to refuse the microwave oven.
But again, it's up to you to choose- or health for life or illnesses, acquired because of your own laziness and inattention to yourself!

Microwave ovens have become a fixture in every kitchen. Cooking and heating food in them is much faster. Along with the benefits of microwave ovens, there is still talk about the dangers to human health.

Powerful electromagnetic radiation is used to heat food in a microwave. Waves in the decimeter range penetrate the structure of products and affect water molecules.

The molecules line up around the created electromagnetic field and are in constant motion. Friction resulting from the movement of molecules increases the temperature of the product. Unlike classic stoves and ovens, food is heated from the inside. This takes a few seconds.

Harm or benefit

When heating food in a microwave oven, the molecules rotate at tremendous speed. This damages the structure. The molecules are deformed and their shell is destroyed. The result is a product with a completely transformed molecular structure.

All scientific evidence of the harm caused to the human body by microwave ovens is based on this fact.

According to experts, microwave ovens can pose a danger due to several factors:

  • under the influence of microwave radiation, the structure of the product changes, and the body is not able to properly assimilate food;
  • When heating food in a microwave, carcinogens are released that can trigger the development of cancer;
  • the human body does not have the ability to absorb vitamins and minerals transformed in the microwave;
  • electromagnetic radiation, penetrating through the microwave body, negatively affects the human body;
  • when heated in a microwave, food loses its beneficial properties and is perceived by the body as a foreign substance that needs to be eliminated;
  • A metal object accidentally dropped into the oven may cause the device to explode and result in injury to the user.

Scientists from Switzerland conducted studies that revealed the harmful effects of microwave ovens on certain parts of the body. They hired a person who alternated between eating food prepared conventionally and using a microwave.

Based on the results of the experiment, conclusions were made about the negative effects of food from a microwave oven:

  • on the brain, causing irreversible changes in its cortex;
  • on the digestive system - the body cannot recognize transformed food, remaining hungry, even after processing a large amount of food;
  • on the hormonal system - the body reacts incorrectly to microwave foods, the production of female and male hormones is disrupted;
  • on blood vessels and joints - vitamins and minerals altered by microwaves are not absorbed by the body, but settle on the walls of blood vessels and joints;
  • on blood - after consuming food from the microwave, it loses its ability to clot, which disrupts the wound healing process.

At the same time, even the most skeptical researchers could not deny that the device has a number of useful properties that are not available to conventional ovens.

First of all, this is the speed of heating food. It only takes a few seconds to heat the product. The stove does not require preheating and is ready for use immediately after being plugged in.

Products that require long-term heat treatment in a conventional oven or stove are cooked several times faster in the microwave. Defrosting meat and fish takes from 2 to 5 minutes.

Myth or reality

The research results presented by a group of Swiss scientists were completely refuted by the World Health Organization. In their opinion, microwave radiation cannot affect products or the human body. At the same time, WHO drew the attention of consumers to the fact that microwave radiation can disrupt the functioning of pacemakers.

It was not possible to fully prove the effect of foods heated in the microwave on the human gastrointestinal tract. It is not the processing of foods with microwaves that harms the body, but systematic improper nutrition.

The carcinogens reported by the researchers also appear as a result of frying on a regular stove using oil. When heating vegetable oils, they are released much more than when using microwaves.

Vitamins and minerals are partially degraded during any heat treatment. Food cooked in a microwave oven does not differ in content from food cooked on a conventional stove and has better performance, since it is cooked without oil.

The radioactive radiation that opponents of the use of ovens were afraid of does not in fact exceed the radiation from a mobile phone, since a specially designed housing completely contains it inside the device. Only a stove with a damaged housing can pose a danger.

There is no scientific evidence to support the possibility of a microwave oven exploding due to metal utensils placed inside.

When used correctly, a microwave oven is no more harmful to human health than when using any household appliance.

Key tips include:

  • To get the maximum benefit from using the stove and get rid of the negative effects, follow safety precautions.
  • You must not violate the installation rules recommended by the manufacturer. The microwave should be placed away from other household appliances. Do not block the ventilation opening.
  • It is strictly prohibited to operate the device with damaged glass or housing. This may result in radiation leakage or electric shock.
  • Only products recommended by the manufacturer should be heated. Do not place items not intended for use in the oven. Do not open the door during operation. Most models are equipped with a safety device that turns off the oven when the door is opened, but if you do this constantly, it may become damaged.
  • The amount of food heated at one time should not exceed the recommended amount. The food will not warm up completely, and the oven will work in increased mode.
  • To heat food, you should use thick-walled glassware or special heat-resistant plastic. Do not turn on an empty microwave to avoid damaging it internally.
  • Wash the microwave with a soft sponge, without using abrasives, so as not to damage the protective coating.

Most statements on the topic of the dangers of microwave ovens for humans do not find understanding among users, and sales of microwave ovens continue to remain consistently high. The device greatly facilitates cooking and irrefutable evidence has not yet been provided as to whether a microwave is harmful.

You shouldn’t completely abandon classic ovens and replace them with microwave ovens, but with a reasonable approach, you can reduce the time spent on preparing a dish.

The main thing is to observe the service life specified by the manufacturer and not use the microwave after it has expired.

No good deed goes unpunished, including cooking in a microwave oven

A common “horror story” is that a microwave oven irradiates a person with harmful rays and “poisons” food. Whether this is really so, EG.RU is looking into it together with experts.

Rays of good and evil

While the stove is operating, experts from the testing laboratory of Roskontrol recommend staying one and a half meters away from it. And remember that wi-fi, which we use much more often during the day than a microwave, “broadcasts” as many electromagnetic rays as the microwave. Therefore, the router should not be installed in the bedroom or children's room.

And you don’t need to stand close to the microwave for eight hours straight. Only in this case can a person develop health problems. Read the instructions and follow logic, not superstition.

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Almost everything useful that fits into the microwave

Another opinion is that the molecular structure of foods changes in the microwave - they become carcinogenic. In the 90s, Swiss scientists from the University of Lausanne, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Institute of Biochemistry, after a series of studies, stated that food cooked in microwaves changes its composition, and its consumption can lead to negative changes in the blood, in particular, an increase in the number of lymphocytes and a change in composition cholesterol, increasing the amount of “bad” cholesterol.

There are a number of scientific studies showing that when cooking certain foods in a microwave oven, carcinogens can be formed. However, opponents of microwaves often forget that in a frying pan it is much faster and easier to overcook any dish in oil, turning it into “poison”. Supporters of this culinary device, which has made the lives of busy people much easier, point out that in a microwave oven, on the contrary, it is possible to cook without oil and quickly, practically without subjecting food to long-term heat treatment. And without water, in which some of the nutrients dissolve.


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It has been scientifically proven that foods cooked in the microwave lose much less nutrients than when cooked on the stove. So, the researchers cooked cabbage, carrots and spinach in the microwave, in a double boiler and in a pressure cooker. As a result, vegetables from a pressure cooker lost more dietary fiber, which is beneficial for the intestines, than those cooked in a microwave oven and steamed.

However, not all foods are microwave safe. In just one minute, the beneficial substances contained in garlic are destroyed, since in the oven they “disappear” only after 45 minutes. Even in the microwave oven, almost 100% of the antioxidants found in broccoli are destroyed. It is better to boil it on the stove.


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According to University of Colorado biochemist Dr. Lita Lee, children should also not heat milk in the microwave - the structure of amino acids in infant formula changes, and the substances that provide its immune-strengthening properties in breast milk are destroyed. However, the scientific world does not have serious and long-term scientific studies that unambiguously confirm or refute this. But there is another danger for children, which is definitely not in doubt: due to uneven heating, containers with infant formula and food may feel cold to the touch, and their contents may be scalding.

By the way, According to one version, microwaves were invented by the Nazis when they were looking for an opportunity to reduce the time needed to prepare food during hostilities. According to another, in 1946 the American inventor Percy Spencer patented the world's first microwave oven weighing 300 kg. He proved the thermal effect of a magnetron (a device that generates microwaves) on food.

No point in blaming the stove

In the early 2000s, nutritionists became seriously concerned about the obesity epidemic. Among the factors that provoked it was the widespread use of microwave ovens. Scientists have started talking about the fact that changes in the molecular composition of food can negatively affect metabolism.


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However, recent research casts doubt on the fact that microwaves are the root of all evil. As practice shows, very often, in order to save time, semi-finished products, fast food and other high-calorie foods are heated in them, which themselves, when consumed frequently, lead to the appearance of extra pounds. In addition, as Russian scientists note, microwave ovens have been used in the food industry for several decades for various culinary operations (drying, sterilization, pasteurization, etc.), so even those who fundamentally do not use microwaves are not immune from “molecularly altered” food Houses.

Home on skeet

Another danger is the dishes in which a person heats food. Glass, ceramic, and silicone dishes are suitable for a microwave oven, but first you need to read the special markings and make sure that they are suitable for use in a microwave oven. Many people do not pay attention to the special icons and heat up food in the first plastic container that comes to hand. And it often contains harmful components (bisphenol-A, benzene, dioxins, toluene, xylene, etc.), which can get into food when heated. In this case, the prepared product can instantly become hazardous to health.

Therefore, pay attention to special symbols that will tell you what the dishes are intended for. For example, today they make heat-resistant plastic containers in which you can cook food in a microwave oven without consequences. It is better to throw away cracked or heavily scratched containers: their protective layer is damaged, which can also allow harmful substances to penetrate into the food.


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